Much damage can be done to water vessels upon collision with other objects that are floating or are otherwise supported in the water. This danger is particularly acute at night, when the probability of seeing the objects in time to avoid a collision is almost zero. Further, many such objects are small to begin with, further reducing the chance of seeing them from an approaching vessel. Fishing nets and anchor lines are examples of such objects. Colliding with these objects almost certainly damages them and often damages the hull or motor of the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,564 to Cairone, Sr., on Feb. 26, 1985, teaches a luminescent foam float particularly well suited for floating fishing nets. A luminescent pigment is included both on the surface of the float and within the float, such that one who is approaching the float in a vessel may visually observe the float, or perhaps observe a large ring of such floats located on the periphery of a fishing net, and thereby steer to avoid colliding with the net. Such a device, while well suited for fishing nets, does not make suitable provision for accepting a ship's anchor line and actively signaling the entry location of such into the water. Further, in prolonged darkness, luminescent pigments become de-energized and, as they no longer luminesce, they can no longer be seen. Floats of this type, therefore, have limited use.
Other floatation buoys and collars exist, such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,540,831 to Pfleumer on Feb. 6, 1951, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,804 to Dowdeswell on Jun. 26, 1990. Such devices all have considerable drawbacks if they are used to indicate the location of anchor lines. For example, such devices make no provision for allowing an anchor line to be removably engaged therewith while in use, and later removed if desired, without removing the anchor from the end of the anchor line. Such devices, further, make no provision for improved visibility in adverse or darkened conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,836, issued to Yuji on Nov. 23, 1982, teaches a fishing float for accepting a fishing line. Provision is made to illuminate the float with a small lamp. However, such a device is ill-suited for the stresses encountered with an anchor line, and has the same drawbacks associated with the aforementioned luminescent float device.
Clearly, then, there is a need for a floatation marker for marking the entry location of an anchor line into the water. Such a needed device would allow relatively quick installation and removal onto and off of the anchor line, even if an anchor attached to the line has already been dropped. Further, such a needed device would actively indicate its position at night, such as with a light source. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.